Mumbai-Kolkata-Darjeeling-Varanasi-Delhi? Somewhere in the South?

Megsf

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to India to take place this August. We will be there 22 days. Right now we are trying to come up with a rough itinerary.

We are flying into Mumbai and out of Delhi, so we will definitely spend at least a few days in each of those cities. We have considered the following initinerary:

3 or 4 days in Mumbai
Fly from Mumbai to Kolkata
2 or 3 days in Kolkata
Overnight train, then bus to Darjeeling
2 or 3 days in Darjeeling
Overnight train to Varanasi
1 or 2 days in Varanasi
Overnight train to Delhi
5 or 6 days in Delhi and Agra.

Other than starting in Mumbai and ending in Delhi, our itinerary is completely open.

We would really like to add a location in Southern India, maybe somewhere that is easily accessible, but not too big. We both like cities, but I think it will be nice to be in a few towns too.

Although I would like to visit Darjeeling (I am a big tea fan and I would also like to ride the train), We are considering cutting it, Varanasi, and Kolkata out in order to focus on one or two places in the South.

Would this be a mistake? Could we add one great destination in the South (perhaps somewhere near an airport or within a days train ride from Mumbai) and keep most of the above itinerary?

My boyfriend and I have a medium budget. We would like to sight-see, but we would also enjoy relaxing or going on a hike. We are open to anything really, but we aren’t sure what is out there. Our biggest constriction is time.

I would appreciate any help you can give me. The posts on this website have already been such a great help.

jyotirmoy

August is monsoon time. You will face heavy downpour in Mumbai as well as in Kolkata. Transportation plans may go haywire. It will also rain in Darjeeling. Due to floods trains may also get cancelled or diverted so take all these in to account while planing.
In the plains of north India August is hot, humid and muggy.

steven_ber

Just to emphasise Jyoti's info regarding trains, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is often disrupted by landslips during the monsoon (and other times of heavy rain), there can be no train for days and sometimes weeks.

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Train information.

jyotirmoy

Flash floods in Bihar can disrupt trains to Varanasi too.

Fan of India

Why dont you add Goa to your itinerary?

Its a great place to be - 1 nights train journey from Mumbai - and can be an absolutely fantastic destination if you love the rains !!

jyotirmoy

Think of Ladakh, August is the best season. Although hot & humid you can still tour Delhi & Rajasthan, mornings & evenings will be quite bearable.
Another word of caution, water borne diseases peak during monsoon time so be extra careful about what you drink & eat.